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Prices for prescription pharmaceutical drugs have skyrocketed, disproportionately making them harder for people of color to afford, a new report finds. Black people in the U.S. are more likely to be diagnosed with the condition and die from it, the report highlights. Several health care advocacy organizations, including Patients for Affordable Drugs and Health Care for America Now, are pushing for policies that will help lower the financial burden of patients. Both organizations supported the Inflation Reduction Act, a law signed by President Joe Biden that aims to reduce prescription drug prices. In the meantime, Basey, of Patients for Affordable Drugs, said her organization continues to push for bills like S.142, which prevents pharmaceutical companies from paying generic brands to delay the release of their drugs on the market.

Persons: Merith, “, ” Basey, ”, Basey, haven’t, Carrol Olinger, Olinger, ” Olinger, Joe Biden, Margarida Jorge, Jorge, hasn’t, “ It’s, ” Jorge, she’s Organizations: Drugs, New England, of Medicine, AstraZeneca, NBC News, Bristol Myers Squibb, ” Pharmaceutical, U.S, Health Care, America, Centers for Disease Control, Biden Locations: U.S, Daiichi, Hope Mills , North Carolina, Basey

☆ Pfizer says its experimental drug for deadly condition that causes appetite and weight loss in cancer patients shows positive trial results
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Pfizer 's experimental drug for a common, life-threatening condition that causes cancer patients to lose their appetite and weight showed positive results in a midstage trial, the drugmaker said Saturday. Patients with the condition, called cancer cachexia, who took Pfizer's treatment saw improvements in body weight, muscle mass, quality of life and physical function, according to the drugmaker. The condition affects about 9 million people worldwide, and 80% of cancer patients suffering from it are expected to die within one year of diagnosis, according to the company. Cancer cachexia is currently defined as a loss of 5% or more body weight over the past six months in cancer patients, along with symptoms such as fatigue, according to the National Cancer Institute. Allerton said a work group of experts defines a weight gain of greater than 5% as a "clinically meaningful difference in cancer patients with cachexia."

Persons: cachexia, Charlotte Allerton, Pfizer's, Allerton Organizations: Pfizer, National Cancer Institute, CNBC, European Society for Medical Oncology, The New England, of Medicine Locations: U.S, cachexia, Barcelona, Spain, The, Allerton

The findings bring the phenomenon — and the controversy — of the latest new and powerful weight loss drugs to the youngest age group yet. The new trial looked at liraglutide, the active ingredient used in two of Novo Nordisk’s older GLP-1 drugs: Saxenda, a weight loss drug, and Victoza, a diabetes drug. So instead of looking at overall weight loss like in adult studies, they decided to focus more on BMI, which takes into account both weight and height. A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said that it has submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration to expand the approval of liraglutide for weight loss in children ages 6 to 11. Is 6 too young for a weight loss drug?

Persons: Roy Kim, “, ” Kim, Claudia Fox, Fox, Eli Lilly, ”, liraglutide, ” Fox, Sarah Armstrong, ” Armstrong, comorbidities, it’s, ” Wegovy, Zepbound, Shauna Levy, ” Levy Organizations: New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk, Cleveland Clinic, Centers for Disease Control, University of Minnesota, BMI, Food and Drug Administration, American Academy of Pediatrics, Duke University, Tulane Bariatric Center Locations: liraglutide, Ozempic, Ohio, U.S, New Orleans

☆ Early West Nile Virus activity in the United States may point to a once-in-a-decade spike infections. Here’s what survivors want you to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

Jule Hamrick spent years in physical therapy to learn how to walk again after a West Nile Virus infection. “So kind of like what you see with long Covid, we’ve seen that with West Nile as well, where you can get this ‘long West Nile’ kind of picture.”Watching West Nile patients struggle to recover from their infections made Murray wonder what would become of survivors over time. Brittany Yeager recently returned to the Girl Scout Camp in Idaho where she caught the West Nile virus. She went to two hospitals before a doctor tested her spinal fluid and discovered that she had West Nile virus. The CDC keeps maps of where West Nile cases have been detected in the United States.

Persons: Brittany Yeager, Yeager, Charlie, Streby, “, ”, Kisstina Streby, John Brittingham, he’s, Jule Hamrick, welt, ” Yeager, Brittingham, Jule Hamrick “, Ben Beard, Emma Underwood, –, Kristy Murray, Atlanta . Murray, they’ve, ” Murray, Murray, Max Vigilant, we’ve, she’s, Erin Staples, ” Staples, Staples, haven’t, “ It’s, Charlie Yeager Yeager, Heather, ” Heather, Heather Brittingham John, John, backslide, she’d, ” Jule Hamrick, Hamrick, She’s, don’t, It’s, ” Hamrick Organizations: CNN, Girl Scout, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s, Vector, University of South, Emory University, Houston, Harris County Public Health, West, US Food and Drug Administration, New England, of Medicine, CDC, Vaccine, “ Locations: Idaho, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Roswell , Georgia, University of South Florida, Tampa, Hillsborough County , Florida, West, Atlanta ., New York City, Nile, Harris County, Tex, Texas, West Nile, Kennewick , Washington, CDC’s, United States, Santa Fe, Santa, Albuquerque, Chicago, Houston

☆ Twice-yearly shot proves successful at preventing HIV infection among women, trial data shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Two shots a year of a drug currently used to treat HIV infections were dramatically effective at preventing infections in a study among young women and adolescent girls in Africa. The twice-yearly injection of the drug lenacapavir can provide total protection against HIV infections, demonstrating 100% efficacy in Phase 3 trial data released by drugmaker Gilead and published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The twice-a-year injections of lenacapavir could add another option at preventing HIV infections to the toolbox. The latest Phase 3 findings are part of Gilead’s PURPOSE program, which comprises five HIV prevention trials around the world. “While Gilead awaits additional phase 3 clinical trial data and the potential regulatory filings for HIV prevention administered twice-yearly, it is too early to state the price of lenacapavir for PrEP (prevention).

Persons: drugmaker Gilead, ” Linda, Gail Bekker, Desmond Tutu, “, ”, Dan Barouch, hasn’t, Gilead, Dr, Jason Zucker, Barouch, ” Zucker, Lenacapavir, Gilead spokeperson, lenacapavir, Sanjay Gupta, Daniel O’Day Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, International AIDS, PrEP, University of Cape, International AIDS Society, Center, Virology, Vaccine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, United, lenacapavir, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, ”, US Food and Drug Administration, AIDS, CNN Health, People’s Medicines Alliance, Medicines Locations: Africa, Munich, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Uganda, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Gilead, Europe

☆ Vaccines Significantly Reduce the Risk of Long Covid, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A large new study provides some of the strongest evidence yet that vaccines reduce the risk of developing long Covid. Scientists looked at people in the United States infected during the first two years of the pandemic and found that the percentage of vaccinated people who developed long Covid was much lower than the percentage of unvaccinated people who did. Medical experts have previously said that vaccines can lower the risk of long Covid, largely because they help prevent severe illness during the infection period and people with severe infections are more likely to have long-term symptoms. But many individuals with mild infections also develop long Covid, and the study, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that vaccination did not eliminate all risk of developing the condition, which continues to affect millions in the United States.

Organizations: The New England, of Medicine Locations: United States, The

☆ Ozempic reduces risk of serious illness and death in people with diabetes and kidney disease, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Diabetes is a key risk factor for kidney disease, which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and worldwide; about 1 in 3 people with diabetes also has chronic kidney disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But new research shows that weekly injections of semaglutide cut the risk of severe outcomes from diabetic kidney disease by about 24%. The new study found even broader related benefits of semaglutide treatment among people with diabetic kidney disease. “Kidney disease attributed to diabetes, or diabetic kidney disease, is one of the most common and deadly complications of diabetes. Yet, unfortunately, there’s very low awareness around it,” said Dr. Katherine Tuttle, chair of the Diabetic Kidney Disease Collaborative for the American Society of Nephrology.

Persons: ”, Vlado Perkovic, “ Semaglutide, Martin Holst Lange, Katherine Tuttle, ” It’s, Tuttle, semaglutide, It’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, White, ” Tuttle Organizations: CNN, Diabetes, US Centers for Disease Control, New England, of Medicine, European Renal Association Congress, University of New, University of New South Wales Sydney, Novo Nordisk, American Society of Nephrology, Providence Inland Northwest Health, Health Sciences, University of Washington, CNN Health Locations: United States, University of New South, Danish, American

☆ Ozempic Cuts Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease Complications, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Semaglutide, the compound in the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, dramatically reduced the risk of kidney complications, heart issues and death in people with Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in a major clinical trial, the results of which were published on Friday. The findings could transform how doctors treat some of the sickest patients with chronic kidney disease, which affects more than one in seven adults in the United States but has no cure. The trial, funded by Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk, was so successful that the company stopped it early. Dr. Martin Holst Lange, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of development, said that the company would ask the Food and Drug Administration to update Ozempic’s label to say it can also be used to reduce the progression of chronic kidney disease or complications in people with Type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease, which occurs when the kidneys don’t function as well as they should.

Persons: Ozempic, ”, Katherine Tuttle, Martin Holst Lange, Novo, Subramaniam Pennathur Organizations: University of Washington School of Medicine, Renal Association, The New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk, and Drug Administration, Diabetes, Michigan Medicine Locations: United States, Stockholm, The

☆ Experimental gene therapy restores some vision in patients with inherited blindness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“Now, post-surgery and post recovery, I am able to see in dimmer lighting with my left eye,” Cook said. A treatment that used CRISPR was found to be safe and efficacious in improving vision among a small sample of patients with inherited blindness in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial that Cook participated in. Months following the treatment, Cook was sitting with friends on a balcony that had Christmas lights wrapped around the railing. Courtesy Olivia CookBefore the treatment, Cook said that she sometimes could conceal the vision challenges she has had. Mass Eye and EarKalberer described the CRISPR treatment as “groundbreaking,” but warned it’s not a cure.

Persons: Olivia Cook, Cook, ”, ” Cook, “, I’ve, “ I’d, you’d, CRISPR, Eric Pierce, Brigham, “ We’re, ” Pierce, Jason Comander, ‘, Michael Kalberer, Kalberer, it’s, “ It’s, It’s, Pierce, Editas, We’re, Art Caplan, ” Caplan, —, Vlad Diaconita, ” Diaconita, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aliaa Abdelhakim Organizations: CNN, Missouri State University, New England, of Medicine, Mass, Harvard Medical School, Editas Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of Miami, Oregon Health & Science University, US Food and Drug Administration, CEP290, pharma, NYU Grossman School, Medicine’s Department of Population Health, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, CNN Health Locations: Springfield, United States, CEP290

☆ Weight-loss drug Wegovy offers benefits for people with diabetes and common form of heart failure, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study, published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed how the drug helped people with Type 2 diabetes who also had one of the most common kind of heart failure, obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction can severely limit a person’s ability to participate in the activities of daily life. Often, people with type 2 diabetes who have this kind of heart failure have a more severe form than those who don’t have diabetes. People with a more severe form of heart failure sometimes don’t respond as well to medication as those with less severe disease. One death in the Wegovy group and four in the placebo group were related to cardiovascular issues.

Persons: Wegovy, Ozempic, Dr, Mikhail Kosiborod, “, ” Kosiborod, Naveed Sattar, ” Sattar, Sanjay Gupta, Kosiborod, ” Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk –, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, St, University of Glasgow, Science Media, CNN Health, American College of Cardiology Locations: Asia, Europe, North, South America, Kansas City , Missouri, Atlanta

☆ Diabetes drug similar to Ozempic helped slow progression of Parkinson's disease in small trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A highly popular class of drugs for diabetes and obesity is showing early potential to help patients with Parkinson's disease, too. But more research is needed to determine whether newer iterations of GLP-1s from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly may also help Parkinson's patients. The trial followed 156 people with early Parkinson's disease for a year. But one group was given an additional daily injection of Sanofi's drug, while the other was given a placebo. But use of Sanofi's drug was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects, which are common across all GLP-1s.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Sanofi, drugmaker Organizations: Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, The New England, French Ministry of Health, Prevention, CNBC Locations: Novo, France, The

☆ FDA approves new drug that may help stop and even reverse a rare, fatal condition that doctors call a ‘ticking time bomb’
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

These proteins cause the walls of a person’s blood vessels to keep growing and thicken over time. As the blood vessels narrow, the heart is forced to work harder to pump blood to the lungs. Treatment with a combination of drugs that dilate, or relax, blood vessels can improve this outlook, but they are not a cure. Both groups were also taking the standard medications for the condition, which help relax blood vessels to improve blood flow. But Galiatsatos said that as promising as the drug looks, there are still many unknowns, including whether the drug will benefit all PAH patients equally.

Persons: Katrina Barry, Barry, “, ”, Winrevair, Merck Winrevair, Vallerie McLaughlin, Panagis, Galiatsatos, isn’t, ” Barry, I’m, fanny, She’s, sotatercept, PAH, Sotatercept, “ There’s, Kristin Highland, Highland, ” Merck, Merck, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Aaron Waxman, Barry’s, he’s, they’ve, Johnson –, Waxman, “ I’ve, “ It’s, who’ve Organizations: CNN, American Lung Association, US Food and Drug Administration, Merck, FDA, University of Michigan, PAH, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, New England, of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Institute, Clinical, CNN Health, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Johnson Locations: PAH, American, Greece, Boston

☆ As more young people get colon cancer, it may be time for a colonoscopy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Colon cancer may seem like a distant concern for some, but with the growing trend of younger people being diagnosed, staying informed and proactive is crucial. I lost a dear friend — a doctor, father and husband, just like myself — to colon cancer in 2017. His memory is a constant reminder of the importance of awareness and early detection in the fight against colon cancer. SDI Productions/E+/Getty ImagesThe risks of colon cancerThe American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 106,590 new cases of colon cancer in the United States this year, nearly evenly split between men and women. That’s why it’s called Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and not just colon cancer awareness.

Persons: Jamin, CNN — Colon, —, what’s Organizations: Orlando Health, Florida Urological Society, CNN, SDI, American Cancer Society, US Preventive Services Task Force, The New England, of Medicine, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Florida, United States, The

☆ Living drugs that reprogram patients’ immune cells show early promise against hard-to-treat brain tumors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Only 3% to 5% of people who are diagnosed with this type of brain tumor will be alive three years later. Now, an experimental therapy that reprograms a person’s own immune cells to attack these tumors is showing some exciting promise. Doctors first harvested immune fighters called T-cells from his blood and then genetically modified them in a lab so they’d recognize and bind to specific proteins on the surface of the brain tumor cells. After a single 10-milliliter infusion of about 10 million CAR-T cells, Fraser’s tumor began to shrink. Three-quarters of the participants had had their brain tumors come back at least twice.

Persons: ”, Otis Brawley, –, they’ll, ” Brawley, Tom Fraser, Brigham, Debbie Fraser, Fraser, He’s, Marcela Maus, ” Fraser, Maus, “, ” Maus, Christine Brown, ’ Brown, ” Brown, hasn’t, Brown, Dr, Donald O’Rourke, “ They’re, O’Rourke, ” O’Rourke, Sanjay Gupta, you’re, they’re, it’s Organizations: CNN, Johns Hopkins University, American Cancer Society, City of Hope Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts General, Mass, New England, of Medicine, Doctors, Mass General Cancer Center, Tv3, Cell Therapeutics Research, of, Nature, Penn, Excellence, University of Pennsylvania Perlman School of Medicine, CNN Health Locations: City, Duarte , California, Massachusetts, Rochester , New York, Boston, of Hope, Hope

But a big problem persists as long as the coronavirus continues to spread: long COVID. Long COVID is a condition involving new, returning or ongoing health problems four or more weeks after initial coronavirus infection. “The long COVID community and the COVID cautious community are pretty furious about it,” Hennessy says. And of the people who were aware of long COVID, more than 20% said they at least somewhat agreed with the statements “those with Long COVID may just be depressed” and “Long COVID symptoms are often just the normal aches and pains of life.”“They’re told that their brain fog or other symptoms are not real, and that’s demoralizing,” Rylance said. Young adults and children can also have long COVID, with more than 1% of kids ever having long COVID as of 2022, according to a national survey.

Persons: Long, Long COVID, –, Paul Hennessy, ” Hennessy, Mandy Cohen, didn’t, Hennessy, “, ” Jamie Rylance, hadn’t, ” “ They’re, that’s, ” Rylance, they’re, ”, it’s, Lynn Goldman Organizations: World Health Organization, Washington , D.C, Survey, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, PBS, COVID, CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, U.S . Research, New England, of Medicine, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University Locations: U.S, Washington, Washington ,

☆ Microplastics have been linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and stroke for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

People with microplastics in their plaque were more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. This is the first time microplastics have been linked to health problems in humans. AdvertisementPeople who had microplastics in their blood vessels in a study were more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or die earlier than those who didn't. Younger men were more likely to have microplastics in their plaqueIt's important to note that the findings don't prove that microplastics cause heart attacks and strokes but rather suggest a link between the two. This might suggest that microplastics in the bloodstream exacerbate inflammation, which increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke, study author Francesco Prattichizzo told New Scientist.

Persons: Microplastics, —, Raffaele Marfella, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Marfella, Francesco Prattichizzo, Vahitha Abdul Salam, Abdul Salam Organizations: microplastics, Service, New England, of Medicine, University of Campania, New, Queen Mary University of London Locations: microplastics, Mount Everest, Naples, Italy

☆ Nanoplastics linked to heart attack, stroke and early death, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Should exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics be considered a cardiovascular risk factor? Nanoplastics have been found in human blood, lung and liver tissues, urine and feces, mother’s milk, and the placenta. The examination found “visible, jagged-edged foreign particles” scattered in the plaque and external debris from the surgery, the study said. Presence of microplastics and nanoplastics, and subsequent inflammation, may act to increase one’s susceptibility to these chronic diseases,” Stapleton said in an email. However, calling the study results “a direct link to cardiovascular disease is a stretch for the findings,” she added.

Persons: ”, Raffaele Marfella, Marfella, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Philip Landrigan, ” Landrigan, nanoplastics, Landrigan, Mary Conlon, —, that’s, Andrew Freeman, Phoebe Stapleton, Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario, “, ” Stapleton, Leonardo Trasande, don’t, Trasande Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, University of Campania, Boston College, Program, Global Public Health, Global, Planetary Health, International, Water Association, Surgeons, Jewish Health, Rutgers, Rutgers University’s Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Getty, American Academy of Pediatrics, NYU Langone Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Invest Locations: Naples, Italy, Denver, Piscataway , New Jersey

☆ The Covid-19 pandemic killed off one strain of the flu, and that will change the next vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Starting this fall, however, all the flu shots distributed in the United States will probably contain only three strains, and the change is because of Covid-19. It’s not quick or easy to change how flu vaccines are manufactured, and those changes require regulatory review and approval. The committee is meeting Tuesday to discuss next steps and vote on flu vaccine recommendations for the fall. “Anytime these flu vaccines are being produced, they are – depending on which vaccines you are talking about – using live or attenuated virus, and you do have to grow it,” she said. But as the authors note, any such change would require testing and regulatory approval, and for that reason, it’s not likely we’ll see the return of four-strain flu shots any time soon.

Persons: Covid, Yamagata, It’s, We’ve, ”, Paul Offit, Offit, Jodie Guest, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Arnold Monto, Maria Zambon, Jerry Weir, it’s Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, Food and Drug Administration, Vaccine Education, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Biological Products Advisory, WHO, Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, Get CNN, CNN Health, New England, of Medicine, UK Health Security Agency Locations: United States, Victoria, Yamagata

☆ Long Covid May Lead to Measurable Cognitive Decline, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Long Covid may lead to measurable cognitive decline, especially in the ability to remember, reason and plan, a large new study suggests. Cognitive testing of nearly 113,000 people in England found that those with persistent post-Covid symptoms scored the equivalent of 6 I.Q. But the experts said the findings are important because they provide numerical evidence for the brain fog, focus and memory problems that afflict many people with long Covid. “These emerging and coalescing findings are generally highlighting that yes, there is cognitive impairment in long Covid survivors — it’s a real phenomenon,” said James C. Jackson, a neuropsychologist at Vanderbilt Medical Center, who was not involved in the study. He and other experts noted that the results were consistent with smaller studies that have found signals of cognitive impairment.

Persons: —, ”, James C, Jackson Organizations: The New England, of Medicine . People, Vanderbilt Medical Center Locations: England, The

☆ Drug Drastically Reduces Children’s Reactions to Traces of Food Allergens
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Roni Caryn Rabin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A drug that has been used for decades to treat allergic asthma and hives significantly reduced the risk of life-threatening reactions in children with severe food allergies who were exposed to trace amounts of peanuts, cashews, milk and eggs, researchers reported on Sunday. The drug, Xolair, has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for adults and children over age 1 with food allergies. It is the first treatment that drastically cuts the risk of serious reactions — like anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that causes the body to go into shock — after accidental exposures to various food allergens. The results of the researchers’ study, presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Washington, were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, Immunology, The New England, of Medicine Locations: Washington, The

☆ New data shows asthma medicine may help reduce severe reactions in people with multiple food allergies
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A new study finds that the asthma medication Xolair may substantially reduce severe allergic reactions in people who have multiple food allergies and are accidentally exposed to those foods. There is no cure for food allergies, and the only other FDA-approved treatment is Palforzia, an oral immunotherapy for peanut allergies in children between 4 and 17 years old. “But the reality is that most of our patients don’t just have peanut allergy,” Wood added. For people who have multiple severe food allergies and even moderate to severe allergic asthma, Casale says, Xolair might be the best treatment option. Xolair does not eliminate food allergies, and unlike with some environmental allergies such as pollen, many people never outgrow them, Casale added.

Persons: ”, Sharon Chinthrajah, “, ” Xolair, Robert Wood, ” Wood, Xolair, Wood, omalizumab, Thomas Casale, Palforzia, Casale, they’ve, ” Lindsey Mathias, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Chinthrajah, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, New England, of Medicine, US Food and Drug Administration, Stanford University, of Allergy, Immunology, Johns Hopkins Children’s, Genentech, Novartis, FDA, National Institutes of Health, University of South, American Academy of Allergy Asthma, CNN Health, Xolair Locations: anaphylaxis, Eudowood, Johns, University of South Florida Tampa

☆ Questions and answers for weight loss medications semaglutide and tirzepatide
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —As prescriptions for popular weight loss drugs have soared, the class of medications known as GLP-1 agonists is changing the way people think about how to lose weight. Initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide have also been shown to be effective in promoting weight loss. Also, some people would do well without medications and could have sufficient weight loss with changes in diet and exercise. Wen: The FDA-approved versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide for weight loss are called Wegovy and Zepbound. CNN: Are there certain medications that preclude you from taking the weight loss drugs at the same time?

Persons: Leana Wen, Wen, Michael Siluk, tirzepatide, It’s, Eli Lilly Organizations: CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, George Washington University, FDA, BMI, Getty Images CNN, The New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk, semaglutide Locations: The

☆ Competition will make obesity drugs successful
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Robert Cyran | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In an interview with the Financial Times, he proposed spreading reimbursements over time if the medication proves to be successful. There’s some practical grounding in that solution, but the path of other similar drugs suggests that a competitive market is a better way to make it successful. Snag is, the drugs cost several thousand dollars per patient annually, even after discounts. Medicare, which covers 66 million seniors, can’t pay for weight loss drugs under current law. While it makes more sense for insurers or governments to pay over time if the drugs benefits last, schemes like the one that Jørgensen suggests can only do so much.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Jørgensen, “, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: Reuters, Novo Nordisk, Financial Times, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, North Carolina, The New England, of Medicine, Employers, Thomson Locations: U.S, The, United States, Danish

☆ Zepbound: The newest obesity medication explained by an expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration approved the medication Zepbound last week to treat chronic obesity. Tirzepatide joins a similar medication called semaglutide that was also initially developed for diabetes treatment under the name Ozempic and has since been approved to treat obesity under the name Wegovy. Studies on both have shown high effectiveness in treating diabetes and obesity. The injectable medication Zepbound, manufactured by Eli Lilly, was approved by the FDA on November 8 to treat chronic obesity. Note that technically, the versions of the medicines someone needs for obesity treatment are Zepbound and Wegovy.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Tirzepatide, —, Leana Wen, Wen, Zepbound, Ozempic Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, FDA, The New England, of Medicine, JAMA, Novo Nordisk, semaglutide, BMI Locations: The, tirzepatide, Wegovy

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large, international study that experts say could change the way doctors treat certain heart patients. Wegovy is a high-dose version of the diabetes treatment Ozempic, which already has been shown to reduce the risk of serious heart problems in people who have diabetes. Study volunteers who took Wegovy lost about 9% of their weight while the placebo group lost less than 1%. About 17% in the Wegovy group and about 8% in the comparison group left the study, mostly because of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other stomach-related problems. In 2006, Medicare was allowed to cover weight-loss surgery to treat the complications of severe obesity, if not obesity itself, he noted.

Persons: Wegovy, pare, ”, Michael Lincoff, hasn’t, Dr, Francisco Lopez, Jimenez, Lopez, Martha Gulati, Gulati, Eli Lilly's Zepbound, Mark McClellan Organizations: Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Sinai Medical Center, Medicare, Centers, Services, FDA, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: U.S, Philadelphia, Novo, Los Angeles

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